Dreams are for Nights Version 2
by Mana Goddess
Summary: A rewrite of my other story Dreams are for Nights. Kamen Rider OOO - Eiji x Ankh. Eiji is trying to bring Ankh back to life, having found out he has to follow the Orpheus Myth and venture down to the Underworld to get Ankh's soul back. With the help of other Riders, can he save Ankh? *beware of spoilers*
1. Dreams

**Dreams are for Nights**

**Chapter 1 – Dreams**

**By **ManaGoddess

**Disclaimer****:** I do not own Kamen Rider OOO, because if I did Ankh and Eiji would have been an official couple on the show instead of just teasing us with great Yaoi moments. All characters from Kamen Rider are owned by the Toei Company. The name 'KoAnkh' is mine though.

**Author's Note****:** Welcome back to Dreams are for Nights! I have decided that I want to rewrite the story and republish it. While writing it originally I came up with a lot of ideas on the fly so some of the earlier chapters don't quite line up story wise. I also wanted to write more about KoAnkh as well since I didn't even decide to make him a major character until halfway through the story (thanks Green Phantom Queen!).

The story will have lots of cameos, even a few news ones from the original story because why the hell not. I'll always post spoiler warnings at the beginning because I love my readers and would want to know myself. This takes place during episode 39 of OOO. Review please! I would like to know what you think of the rewrite.

* * *

_ Thunder echoed in the small bedroom above the restaurant as rain poured from the skies. Somewhere off in the distance, the sound of falling medals clinked against each other, drawing Ankh out of his slumber._

_ "A Yummy," Ankh said quietly as thunder crackled again, startling the Greeed awake. Again, he heard the medals. Ankh was excited, now there would be another chance to get more medals and maybe get rid of that child who was pretending to be him. He would need to take care of that problem soon, the boy was really annoying. _

"_Eiji," Ankh called out as he jumped down from his red satin perch he had made. "Eiji, let's go!" He called out once more as he started his way to the window, ready to find the imposter Greeed. Ankh stopped, frowning at the rider who was still sound asleep. Thunder crashed again, making Ankh jump slightly. How the rider could sleep during such a storm was beyond Ankh. Personally, thunderstorms made him antsy as hell. Growling, Ankh rolled his eyes and stomped over to the bed. "Hey, Eiji!" Ankh shook Eiji, rolling the rider onto his back and throwing back the covers. _

_The only problem was that the person there wasn't Eiji. Ankh stumbled back a few steps as he stared down at the sleeping form of Shingo, the man whose body Ankh was currently borrowing. He wore the same outfit as Ankh, even the one red sleeve. A bit frightened, Ankh checked himself, making sure he was still in control of the body. It didn't make any sense at all. Lightning flashed once more, illuminating the red feathers lying across Shingo's body. Recognition hit Ankh like a fist in the gut; those were –his- feathers. He barely even noticed the few black feathers mixed in with the red ones. _

_Stumbling backwards, trying to get away from the body that was slowly waking up, Ankh bumped into one of the support beams in the bedroom. Quickly glancing to the side he saw the door and inched his way over there. He had to get out, this wasn't right. Still backing away he bumped into another person._

"_Ankh," Eiji's voice whispered. "Your medals…" Ankh slowly turned around to see the rider standing behind him, his eyes glowing bright purple as the strange core medals inside Eiji took over his mind. "I'm taking them." Eiji said matter-of-factly. Ankh shook his head turning as Shingo sat up in bed, holding one of the red feathers in his hand._

"_Sorry, there isn't any room for a filthy half-Greeed," Shingo chuckled as he got out of bed, walking slowly towards the other two men like a predator ready to pounce on his meal. His smile was wicked, promising dark things that Ankh couldn't understand. Ankh wasn't afraid; he knew that Shingo was frail and that Ankh would win the fight if push came to shove. Drawing from the power of his core medals, Ankh changed his right arm to its Greeed form readying an attack. Two powerful arms warped around Ankh's waist, pinning his arms to his side._

"_Eiji, let me go!" Ankh demanded, struggling to get away from the Rider. If Eiji wasn't going to do anything about this obvious problem then Ankh would. Eiji shook his head several times, holding Ankh close to his chest._

"_No, he is a human. We can't hurt humans." Eiji whispered, his eyes staring at the other man in front of them. Shingo smiled as he placed a hand on Ankh's cheek, rubbing it with his thumb. His black eyes bore into Ankh's soul it seemed, a dark aura radiating from the man, causing fear to pierce into Ankh's chest._

"_What a pretty bird, I think we should keep him as a pet. I bet he sings beautifully," Shingo said fondly, smiling at Ankh. The Greeed's cheeks flushed brightly as he continued to struggle against Eiji's grip, the purple medals giving the rider incredible strength. "I could just eat you." Shingo chuckled at Ankh, angering the Greeed even more. Didn't these humans know Ankh was a powerful Greeed, not some play thing?! He would remind them._

"_It is too crowded in here. Besides, we wouldn't want a half-Greeed around here. Ankh, you need to go back to your original Ankh so you can be whole again," Eiji smirked as he pushed Ankh away from him, disgusted at having to touch the filthy bird. Shingo smiled as he shoved Ankh towards the window, the detective walking behind Eiji and wrapping his arms around the Rider, holding their bodies close together._

_Backing away slowly from the duo Ankh was almost relieved to know the window was behind him. He could jump out of it and run away, that would save him from these crazed two. He no longer cared about what was going on, he just needed to escape. The window was almost in reach when the shutters burst open, a strong gust of window blowing the drapes open and flinging more of Ankh's red feathers into the room. Turning cautiously, Ankh jumped when he saw the small boy floating outside the window._

"_You are me. So hurry back to me," Lost Ankh said, pouting at Ankh as if he had been caught cheating in a children's game. This was not what Ankh needed. It was bad enough to have Eiji going crazy from the purple medals and Shingo separating from him. This was too much. Stepping backwards from the window Ankh growled at his Lost form. He would deal with this problem first._

"_Bullshit," Ankh screamed summoning the fire within his chest. His core medal called out to the other form, wanting to be whole again. Oh, Ankh would get his form back and be whole, this time he knew he would win. Readying a fireball he prepared to hurl it at the child, but was stopped by Eiji grabbing his Greeed arm once more._

"_The Ankh that OOO should be working with isn't you," Eiji's voice was dead calm, the fire inside Ankh extinguishing instantly, his breath came in labored gasps as panic gripped him. Lost Ankh smiled as he stepped inside the tiny room, power radiating from the small child. Eiji's eyes glowed bright purple as they sapped Ankh of what little strength he had left, causing the Greeed's legs to give out from underneath him. Lost Ankh's child form shimmered for a second before changing him into his full Greeed form. Ankh stared up at that form, his form, except the right arm was bare because Ankh had that arm. His heart was ready to give with each step Lost Ankh took towards him. Shingo's laughter could be heard distantly behind them, almost sounding like a crow's caw._

_Ankh and Lost Ankh locked gaze, the Lost Greeed looking smug and confident as he stood over Ankh. "Welcome back…me," Lost Ankh said, holding his purple right hand out towards Ankh. Ankh tried to escape, tried to scurry away but Shingo stood behind him as well as Eiji, the detective kneeing the Greeed in the back to push him forward into the Lost Greeed. Reaching out, Lost Ankh grabbed Ankh's Greeed hand and began to devour him._

**-OOO-**

Ankh woke with a start nearly falling off of the stool he had been napping on in the lobby of the Cous Coussier. His eyes frantically searched around for Shingo or the Lost Greeed. He almost let out a sigh of relief when he felt the detective still within him, slumbering away. Panic still gripped Ankh as he felt his other half calling out to him, quietly but at a distance.

"What is something wrong," Eiji asked as he watched Ankh. Never had he seen the Greeed so frightened. Ankh froze in fear, his eyes wide and alert. Slowly Ankh turned to see the Rider standing by the display table, holding a broom in his hand and looking very confused. Ankh studied the man's eyes, they were brown, thankfully.

Scrambling not too gracefully from the stool he had been sitting on, Ankh stumbled his way towards Eiji, bumping into a pillar and the display table as he went. Reaching out he gripped Eiji's face in his hand, his fingers digging into the man's cheek. Ankh looked closer at Eiji's eyes, searching for any hint of purple. Eiji jumped slightly; dropping the broom he was holding and blushing slightly at the sudden close contact with Ankh

"W-what is it," Eiji demanded, his heart pounding. This was getting weirder and weirder by the moment. Ankh's eyes were wide with fear, something Eiji had never seen before. He looked like a frightened bird.

"Nothing's going on with the purple medals in you, right," Ankh demanded, his face serious and voice dead calm. His grip tightened on Eiji's face and shoulder, scaring the rider a little bit. Blinking Eiji mentally searched the purple core medals inside him. They were fine, so why was Ankh so worked up?

"No, nothing seems off right now," Eiji noted. It had been quite a while since he had felt them flare up, which was a good thing. He was quite proud of how well he had been handling the foreign core medals. Ankh stared at him for a moment longer, weighing Eiji's answer, searching for even the faintest hint of a lie.

"You better keep them suppressed," warned Ankh, shoving a very confused Eiji away from him as he backed away from the Rider slowly.

"I know that. What's this about all of the sudden," Eiji asked watching the Greeed run a hand through his hair, disheveling it slightly. Ankh stumbled away from the rider, ignoring Eiji as the rider picked up the broom once more and continued to sweep up the restaurant.

"Damn it…why am I dreaming," growled Ankh as he leaned against the kitchen door, trying to get a grip on himself. "Is it because of this body?!" He didn't understand, Greeed didn't dream, so he having a nightmare was unheard of. The only reason he knew what it was a nightmare was thanks to the detective's memories. Slamming his hand against the door to the kitchen he tried to figure out what the hell was going on inside him. Shaking his head he brushed past Eiji on his way upstairs to their bedroom. He wanted to be alone with his thoughts.

**-OOO-**

Lost Ankh sat up suddenly in the Maki Manor, his chest pounding with emotions he didn't understand. Looking around the open area he watched the other Greeed lounging around doing pretty much nothing. Unsure of what to do, Lost Ankh walked over to Mezool, hoping to get some answers.

"Hey Mezool, something just happened and I'm not sure what," Lost Ankh said, sitting next to the school girl. She tilted her head at the boy, not used to having someone come to her like this. Sure Gamel did, but he was easy enough to please. "I was resting but then I was suddenly seeing things from other Ankh's point of view, feeling some of his emotions. Then I came into the room and devoured him, yet when I woke up, I was here and he isn't in me. What's going on?" Mezool blinked at him, she had never heard of such a thing happening.

"You have been lying there this whole time," Mezool noted, nodding her head towards the small nest Lost Ankh had made with his red satin sheet. Gamel plopped down next to the two, holding a bag of 'snacks' and munching on a book.

"You were sleep but tossed a lot too. Not sure what was going on. Want muchie," Gamel asked, offering his bag of goodies to Lost Ankh. The young boy looked in the bag and saw a random assortment of items from a pool ball to cardboard boxes. There were some actual food items in there, but nothing looked appetizing at the moment. It confused Lost Ankh more understand what 'appetizing' meant. He had asked the other Greeed about it, but they just shrugged it off as a weird quirk of his other form.

"You were dreaming," Dr. Maki said not bothering to look up from his desk, the doll that usually sat on his arm was sitting at his own computer and working.

"That's silly, Greeed don't dream," Mezool commented, waving off the doctor's explanation. Lost Ankh frowned at that answer as he tried to figure out what a 'dream' was. The core inside him pulsed with energy, giving the Lost Greeed a strange understanding of what that actually meant.

"It was a dream, but a bad one. I felt scared when I woke up and a little disappointed," Lost Ankh said, looking at his own feet. Mezool put her arm around Lost Ankh and hugged him awkwardly. There was comfort in that, comfort which Lost Ankh understood somewhat. Emotions swirled inside of him as he leaned into Mezool a bit, letting out a sigh.

"I want that too! Hug me Mezool!" Gamel demanded, abandoning his food and sitting on the other side of Mezool. The female Greeed laughed as she put her other arm around Gamel and hugged him to her. Part of Lost Ankh felt complete, soothed and comforted. He could tell his other half was drawing on that emotion as well, which lessened the satisfaction.

"I will get me back," Lost Ankh vowed as he tried to sever the tie between himself and Ankh.

"We know you will, Lost Ankh. It will be a grand day to have all of us Greeed back together and whole again," Mezool giggled as she patted Lost Ankh on the head. The young boy frowned at her.

"I hate that name, I want a new one." Lost Ankh demanded, pouting at the Greeed who were now staring at him.

"But you are Ankh. We can't call you 'Ankh' or it might be too confusing between you and the other form." Dr. Maki said from his computer, turning to look at the child. Even the doll was now staring at him, which was weird since Lost Ankh didn't see anyone move him.

"Then why doesn't he get a stupid name instead?" Lost Ankh stood, doing his best to glare at the others. It wasn't fair that he should burden the stupid name; he was more powerful after all.

"Ankh was awake before you, and he does have the medal with his, your, subconscious in it, so he is the original," Dr. Maki answered, crossing his arms over his chest and pondering how this version of Ankh was even alive technically. Once again, the doll mimicked his look without having been touched.

"It's not fair! I want to be Ankh!" Lost Ankh demanded, stomping his foot on the wooden floor to get his point across.

"But you are little Ankh," Gamel pointed out, taking a bite of a candy bar without even bothering to take the wrapper off of it.

"I am not little!" Lost Ankh shouted, his form shimmering before changing into a Greeed. He flexed his right hand, staring at the missing feathers willing them to be there so he could be whole again. "I won't be out done by him! He has to have an opening, and I –will- find it." Flaring his one wing, Lost Ankh stormed outside and took to the skies, determined to become whole again.

**-OOO-**

Ankh shut the door behind him as he entered his and Eiji's bedroom. He was greeted by peace and quiet as he hopped onto his perch of a bed, the red satin sheet cool to the touch. For a few moments he just laid there, his mind trying to understand what the dream was about. Calmness washed over him as he listened to the wind rustling the curtains, the sun dancing on Eiji's bed. It was odd, but the bed looked much more comfortable than his perch. Debating about it for a few moments longer, Ankh sighed and slid off his own perch, grabbing his satin sheet along the way and plopped onto Eiji's bed.

"I will not give this body up so easily, I still need it," Ankh whispered to the soul of the body he was borrowing. At first he didn't care about the person who he was using, but as that soul began to stir and wake up, their ideals melding together, Ankh began to question his own motives. He wouldn't call it guilt, no matter how hard the soul wanted him to believe it, but he did feel a little bad. Soon Ankh wouldn't need this body or Eiji, which would be a huge boon to him. At least, that is what he told himself.

Listening carefully Ankh heard guests arrive at the restaurant below, which meant Eiji would be kept busy for a little bit. Deciding to give into the strange calmness Ankh lay on his back on Eiji's bed, soaking up as much sunlight as possible. He missed the days of being able to lay in the sun whenever he wanted, to not have the constant worry of being attacked by the other Greeed. There was a time when he didn't desire anything, when all he really wanted was sky and sun. It wouldn't be much longer before he could have that back.

"Ankh, are you awake," Eiji asked, poking his head into the room. Ankh had been so absorbed by his own thoughts and the warmth of the sun that he hadn't heard anyone come up the stairs. Thinking quick Ankh snatched one of Eiji's pillows and hurled it at the Rider catching him off guard. By the time Eiji had figured out what had happened Ankh was lying on his perch again, the satin sheet settling and his leg was dangling over the side as if he were bored.

"Tch, what do you want Eiji, I'm not going to help out in the restaurant until Chiyoko buys more ice candies," Ankh snapped, his face nuzzling against the rapidly cooling satin trying to steal the last of its warmth.

"Oh, I was just coming to check up on you," Ankh said as he entered the room fully, setting his pillow on the bed and straightening the sheets. "Were you lying on my bed?" It was the only explanation for why his sheets were messed up and how his own pillow hit him in the face. Eiji peeked at Ankh who was doing his best to NOT look at Eiji.

"Tch, why would I want to lay on a low, flat perch like that when I have my own bed up here," Ankh scoffed at the idea of him lowering himself to those standards. Ankh looked over as Eiji sat on his own bed, memories of the nightmare flashing in Ankh's mind. His heart fluttered for a moment as he thought of Eiji attacking him like that. Just in case, Ankh summoned is Greeed arm.

"I don't know, you get a view of the sky when you lay down, plus the sun makes it nice and warm," Eiji teased a little bit as he looked out the window, smiling at the calm feeling the open sky gave him. He loved having the bedroom window open, the fresh air keeping the room nice and cool. "I bet you have never even tried it. Come on, give it a shot. I'll go out and get you some ice cream if you do." Of course Ankh couldn't turn that down. Grumbling Ankh hopped down from his perch and sat on the bed.

"Nope, not as good as mine, now, where is my ice cream," Ankh demanded as he stood back up after only sat down for a few seconds. Eiji rolled his eyes and grabbed the Greeed's arm pulling him back down to the bed, Ankh almost landing in his lap. Gently Eiji wrapped his arms around Ankh, ignoring the slight panic the flashed through the Greeed as he began to frantically look around the room.

"Give it a minute, a few seconds is not long enough to get a true feel for a place," Eiji whispered, closing his eyes and enjoying the sounds of the outside world. A strange calmness settled of Ankh as he felt Eiji embrace him like this. It was different from the dream, this time he felt the emotions from deep within his core, as if his other half was sharing the feeling as well. This angered Ankh; the feeling should be his alone.

"I will be whole again," Ankh muttered to himself, vowing to take back his proper body one day. No one would stop him, not even Eiji.

"I know you will. I'll help you any way I can," Eiji said while yawning, startling the Greeed who hadn't realized he had spoken aloud. Somehow that put Ankh more at ease, knowing Eiji would protect him. Maybe the nightmare was wrong, just a strange fear that belonged to both Ankh and the Detective. Ankh looked out the window, confused as to why Eiji could make him feel things he didn't understand. Even the detective was having problems putting names to emotions.

"If you ever want to nap on my bed, feel free to Ankh, I won't be mad." Eiji squeezed Ankh as he said this, smiling to himself. "Guess I better get back to work. I'll get those ice cream candies after work for you." Eiji promised as he stood up and stretched. All of a sudden Ankh realized just how chilly it was in the room without Eiji's heat to warm him, he also felt very alone.

"Wait Eiji," Ankh stood, reaching out to the rider who was about to leave the room. Eiji tilted his head at Ankh, looking a bit confused but smiling still. "I…" Ankh wanted to ask what the emotions were in his chest, what they meant and how to deal with them. He couldn't be sure if there were his or the detectives; surely Eiji would know how to tell the difference.

The thought process was interrupted by the sound of falling medals. "A Yummy…let's go." Ankh had never been happier for a distraction in his life. Grabbing Eiji by the hand Ankh half dragged the Rider towards the front door, ignoring the faint blush on Eiji's cheeks and the small laughter Ankh heard from Shingo inside him.

* * *

**Author's Note:** So that is the end of the first chapter! I hope you all like the revision. I watched parts of the episode a few times to try to capture the full scene in my own way. Of course Ankh is about to be attacked by Lost Ankh in the next episode but shhhhhh we don't need to know that yet. Let me know what you think and I hope you all will stick with me through this adventure. If you want to know what happens next and can't wait for the revision check out my original version of Dreams are for Nights. This one might end up a bit different, so be prepared for that!


	2. Name

**Dreams are for Nights**

**Chapter 2 – Name**

**By **ManaGoddess

**Disclaimer****:** I do not own Kamen Rider OOO, because if I did Ankh and Eiji would have been an official couple on the show instead of just teasing us with great Yaoi moments. All characters from Kamen Rider are owned by the Toei Company. The name 'KoAnkh' is mine though.

**Author's Note****:** I really wanted to add more for Lost Ankh and start to set the stage for the later part of the story, so I've decided to add a new chapter or two. In my original story Chapter 2 was essentially just me retelling episode 46. It is still advised to have seen up to Episode 46 because these will be more of the 'other side' of what was going on during that episode time frame.

This chapter takes place during episode 42. There is a tiny bit of Den-O spoiler though (episode 33).

* * *

Lost Ankh was quite pissed off as he sat in the Maki manor watching Gamel fawn over Mezool, offering her candies and sweets or whatever the hell he was eating. Of course Mezool played along with the silly antics; it meant she was getting attention. Frowning, Lost Ankh flexed his right hand, watching it move. He had won the fight against Ankh, so why did he still feel weak?

"Man, it's not like he can really tell the difference," Kazari said as he leaned against the railing next to Lost Ankh, watching the other two Greeed on the foyer below. It was known that Greeed couldn't taste, but Lost Ankh had some idea of what it meant to taste something. Ankh had enjoyed food, enjoyed the sense of taste. When Lost Ankh absorbed him, he understood what it meant for something to be 'delicious' but he couldn't actually experience it, which made him even more upset. "You going to get your Medals?" Kazari asked, pulling Lost Ankh out of his memories.

"Maki is using the Yummy to lure out OOO," Lost Ankh said, biding his time. Maki had promised to help Lost Ankh get his core back since he was better at making Yummy than Lost Ankh. A thought crossed his mind, causing the child to smirk. "Maybe I'll take the purple Medals next." He thought of how amazing it would be to have those powers, to be so much stronger than the other Greeed. Then he wouldn't be the 'Lost' form any longer, he would become something greater than Ankh.

"Better be careful about that one, Maki always has a reason for doing stuff." Kazari chuckled as he looked at the naïve child. He should know by now that they were Greeed and never did anything for free.

"I know that! He underestimates me though. Now that I have Ankh's cores I am much more powerful than he thinks," Lost Ankh smirked as he made a fist with his right hand. A few days had passed since he absorbed his other half and already Ankh was pretty much gone. Sure, a small sliver of him remained in his core medal, but that was slowly being taken over by Lost Ankh. In a few more days Ankh would be nothing but a memory.

"Mezool, this is delicious, try it," Gamel laughed as he held up part of an onion to her. She looked at it and sighed, pushing the Greeed's outstretched hand away.

"I'm not hungry," she said, looking down at the pile of discarded snacks next to her. The attention was wonderful but sometimes he could get on her nerves. "Why don't you go see if Lost Ankh wants it?" Mezool pointed up to the second floor where Kazari and Lost Ankh were sitting. Lost Ankh scrunched his face at the onion. In his mind, he knew that it would taste bad like that and that the smell would bother him. He then remembered that his senses were dull and it would make no difference one way or the other.

"I'm not Lost Ankh! I'm…just Ankh!" Lost Ankh cried out, kicking the railing and almost hitting Kazari. The feline Greeed snickered as he crouched next to the sitting child.

"You will never be Ankh even though his personality is gone. You will always be Other Ankh," Kazari laughed as he watched the little boy get angry. Oh how he loved pissing off the other Greeed.

"Little Ankh! Try, it is delicious!" Gamel called out as he stomped up the stairs, slipping once or twice in his excitement. "Try it!" He held out the onion with a bite already taken out.

"That's not my name!" Lost Ankh cried out, kicking the railing once more before pushing pass the two Greeed and heading towards the door.

"Oh? Throwing a temper tantrum are we," Kazari teased as he leaned against the railing, taking a bite of the onion Gamel was happy to offer him. "Going to go cry?" Tears swelled in Lost Ankh's eyes, but he blinked them away, determined not to look weak in front of his peers.

"Don't cry, everything will be fine Little Ankh, you will have your Core Medals back in no time," Mezool stood near Lost Ankh, putting her hand on his shoulder to stop the boy. He turned to look up at the woman, tears threatening to spill.

"I don't want to be like you all, I want to be like Ankh and be able to truly taste the world," Lost Ankh turned and walked out the door, slamming it behind him.

Confused by his thoughts, Lost Ankh began to walk in a random direction, his mind trying to pick apart the knowledge Ankh had gained while possessing the human. Most of it he didn't really understand, such as why the sun setting was calming or why ice candies were considered 'delicious'. He especially didn't understand the strange affection Ankh had had towards OOO. Lost Ankh had watched how Mezool and Gamel interacted, but he understood it was just out of desire they were that way. Between Ankh and OOO it was something different. Even now he could feel Ankh's faint anger towards him as he looked over the memories.

**-OOO-**

Completely wrapped up with his own thoughts Lost Ankh wasn't paying attention to where he was walking and bumped into a woman who was setting up a sign. Surprised, he fell backwards, landing on his backside. Pain shot up his arm as he hit his elbow on the ground, scraping it.

"I'm so sorry! Are you alright," the woman with long brown hair and kind eyes asked as she helped Lost Ankh to his feet. Concern was written all over her face as she checked for wounds.

"I'm fine," Lost Ankh said, rubbing his elbow which he had skinned. He stared at it for a moment, curious as to why he wanted to cry. Tears solved nothing.

"Let's get that cleaned up, wouldn't want it to get infected," the woman inspected Lost Ankh's elbow, frowning slightly. "My little brother is very clumsy so I can have that fixed up in no time." She guided Lost Ankh into the tiny restaurant that they had been outside of. He quickly stole a glance at the sign.

"The Milk Dipper, what's that?" Lost Ankh asked as they entered the small café. His question was forgotten once he saw the inside. Books lined the walls as did diagrams of stars. In the middle of one table was a golden telescope. He had never seen something like this and curiosity instantly got the better of him.

"It is my café library. My name is Airi, what's yours?" the woman asked as she patted one of the barstools near the counter. She disappeared behind the counter grabbing a first aid kid. Lost Ankh ran his fingers over the spines of the books as he slowly walked towards the bar, taking a seat that Airi had gestured to.

"Um…I don't like my name." Lost Ankh confessed as he watched her clean the dirt off of his scrape. Just then the bell above the door chimed as a young girl around Lost Ankh's apparent age walked in. Lost Ankh didn't even notice the slight sting of the antiseptic spray as he watched the girl walk towards them.

"Hello Kohana, looking for Ryotaro?" Airi asked the young girl as she wrapped a bandage around the elbow, protecting it from getting dirty again. Lost Ankh couldn't help but stare at the girl who looked a bit like Airi.

"Is that your sister?" Lost Ankh blurted out, pointing at Kohana. The young girl blushed a bit but shook her head.

"No she is friends with my little brother. This is Kohana." Airi introduced the two children.

"Nice to meet you," Kohana said, smiling awkwardly. She held her hand out to him but Lost Ankh just stared at it. Somewhere in his mind he knew what he was supposed to do, but for some reason he couldn't make his body move. He was frozen with some weird emotion that made him feel very silly in front of this girl. Ankh's memories tried to give the feeling a name, but it made Lost Ankh even more confused.

"I'm afraid you still haven't told us your name yet." Airi said as she put away the first aid supplies, Kohana slid into the seat next to Lost Ankh.

"I…I don't like my name," Lost Ankh confessed, unsure of why he felt so shy right now. Airi smiled at him while she prepared some sort of beverage behind the counter. Kohana watched Airi for a moment to make sure she wasn't watching then leaned over to whisper to Lost Ankh.

"It's okay; I don't like my name either. It used to be Hana but since my…big sister…is also named Hana I became Kohana," the little girl confessed, giggling at her own misfortune. Lost Ankh watched Kohana straighten up and hold her finger over her mouth in a shhing motion. Airi placed a mug in front of Kohana and another one in front of Lost Ankh. He stared at it for a moment, trying to figure out what it was.

"You might want to add some sugar to the coffee like Kohana is, it would taste a bit sweeter." Airi said, gesturing towards Kohana who was carefully measuring sugar into her drink. She stirred it until the sugar dissolved then took a sip, sighing in satisfaction. In the back of Lost Ankh's mind, he understood what sweet meant. Ankh had liked sweet things. Mimicking Kohana he added sugar to the drink, stirred and took a stip. It was very subtle, but he could just barely make out the taste of the drink thanks to Ankh's memories.

"D-delicious," Lost Ankh cheered as he quickly drank from the cup, his body overwhelmed by the slight sense of taste. He couldn't believe what it actually meant and knew that Gamel was missing out. If it wasn't for Ankh, Lost Ankh probably wouldn't have known what to look for while drinking the liquid.

"I'm glad you like it! Don't drink it too fast though, you might get an upset stomach," Airi warned as she leaned against the counter. The young Greeed nodded and began to sip the drink instead.

"What is this drink called," Lost Ankh asked as he finished the beverage, setting the mug back in its saucer. He blushed a bit as he realized Kohana was still drinking hers. He didn't know why his cheeks felt hot or why he was embarrassed by this. Surely this was Ankh's fault. Soon enough the other Greeed would be gone and Lost Ankh wouldn't have to worry about these silly emotions ever again.

"It's called coffee and Airi makes the best around," Kohana cheered as she finished her cup, savoring the wonderful taste. Airi blushed a bit as she waved off the girl's comment.

"If you let the coffee beans work in peace then your coffee will taste better," Airi said as she gathered their cups and set them aside. "I am working on a special drink, but I don't know if it will ever be perfect." Airi sighed as she glanced at a notebook behind the counter. She knew she had to make the perfect drink, even if she didn't know why.

"If anyone can do it, you can Airi!" Lost Ankh cheered her on, surprising the two girls and himself. Where had this sudden burst of excitement come from? Lost Ankh was never like this, he was always so gloomy and upset. He really needed to get his last Medal so he could squash Ankh for good.

"Oh, thank you. I'm sure with both your encouragement I can do it. Since you don't like your name, what should I call you? I want you to be one of the first people to try it when I finish the drink," Airi smiled at the boy as her desire to complete the drink began to blossom once more. Lost Ankh thought for a moment on what his name should be. He looked over at Kohana who tried her best to cheer him on silently.

"Call me…KoAnkh," Lost Ankh answered finally, thinking that the name would fit him best. He really was the little version of Ankh. At least this way it would seem like he was Ankh's little brother instead of other half. Maybe someday Lost Ankh would understand why it would matter so much to him.

"KoAnkh, that's a lovely name! It's just like yours Kohana." Airi giggled as she looked at the two, smiling proudly. Kohana rolled her eyes at Airi but smiled at KoAnkh, a strange sense of understanding washing over the two children.

_Lost Ankh, it is time._ Maki's voice echoed in KoAnkh's head. The young boy's spirit dropped as he realized the time for fun was over. Sliding off the stool he bowed slightly to the two girls.

"Thank you for helping me and the coffee. It was nice to meet you," KoAnkh said politely as he straightened to leave. For some reason, he enjoyed their company, and their smiles. Usually KoAnkh was with his family, the Greeed, but here, he felt like he could be someone different, his own person. This was a lot to think about but he needed to get his Core Medals back first.

"You are welcome here any time KoAnkh. I hope to see you again." Airi waved to the boy as he headed out. Kohana smiled and waved as well, forcing KoAnkh to blush a bit again.

Once outside, KoAnkh walked down the sideway a ways, making sure Airi and Kohana wouldn't see him. Touching the bandage on his elbow, he smiled fondly at it. No one had ever been truly nice to him, it was a scary thing. The Greeed only wanted to use him for some plan or another and most humans were just there to feed off their desires. KoAnkh decided that when this was all over and he had his Core Medals back, he would find this place again and enjoy another coffee. Maybe, when he was complete he would be able to truly taste it.

_I'm on my way_. KoAnkh thought as his form shimmered giving way to his Greeed form. He stared at his completed right hand, energy and pride surging within him. He would beat OOO this time, he just knew it. Flaring his wings to the side, he took off, ready to take on one last challenge.

**-OOO-**

KoAnkh sat above the pavilion, laughing to himself as he watched the frozen humans cry out for their hero OOO. The Ankylosaurus Yummy laughed as he tormented the humans, the ice slowly crawling up their bodies. It was amazing to see how fragile these beings were as the Yummy used his hammer like hand to shatter one of the frozen humans. Fear gripped the rest of the humans and they called out more for OOO.

The engine of a motorcycle caught KoAnkh's attention as he looked around for the rider. Even Ankh inside him stirred slightly at the sound. Growling, KoAnkh beat the scrap of the other Greeed down, forcing it deeper within his own subconscious. Leaning forward KoAnkh caught sight of the source of the sound, unfortunately it was the wrong Rider. Kamen Rider Birth revved the engine hard as he slammed into the Ankylosaurus Yummy, sending the Yummy sprawling away from the people. The Rider dismounted the motorcycle, ignoring it as it changed back into an innocent vending machine. The two exchanged blows as they fought, Birth slowly pushing the Yummy away from the pavilion and out of KoAnkh's view. Disappointed, the Greeed turned back to the center of the pavilion, listening to the people cry out for help.

Sunlight flared from above one of the buildings, blinding KoAnkh for a moment causing him to shield his eyes. His body burned from the light as he listened to the cries of excitement from the humans. When KoAnkh could see again he growled as he watched OOO in his LaToRa form jump from the top of the building, slashing his claws. Energy from the attack shattered the ice that trapped the humans.

"Run! Hurry and run!" OOO shouted as he ushered people away from the area. The humans scattered like roaches, crying out as they hurried away from the area, gathering silly possessions. It angered KoAnkh more to watch OOO try to save the useless humans. "That way!" OOO grabbed the hand of a child, pointing towards what KoAnkh could guess was her mother. It was strange to think of needing someone to take care of you, even at that young of an age. KoAnkh was better than that, he didn't need the other Greeed, and he was simply using them. KoAnkh had had enough of watching this heroism.

As the pavilion cleared KoAnkh jumped from the rooftop, landing gracefully on the ground. The sight of OOO sickened the Greeed, especially in a combo form. Kazari was pathetic for having so many of his Core Medals taken. This time, KoAnkh would get his back and steal a few more, just to show the other Greeed his strength.

"You're late," KoAnkh informed him, angry that he had to leave Airi and Kohana's company to sit around and listen to people cry out. If OOO had really cared about these humans, he would have been here sooner. Shocked to see the Greeed, OOO slowly got to his feet, his mind whirling at the sight of Ankh.

"Ankh's presence…" OOO said, a hint of fear in his voice as he couldn't really sense the original Ankh. KoAnkh beamed with pride.

"Yes, he put up quite a fight, but…" KoAnkh smirked as he looked at his completed right hand. Oh how wonderful it felt to have his body back. "He's gone." KoAnkh dismissed the thought of Ankh actually being a challenge to him. Didn't they know he was the more powerful form, so why were they always surprised? A stray thought caught his attention as he remembered the taste of coffee. "But there is one thing that bothers me…" KoAnkh figured he might as well ask the person who knew Ankh best. "Hey, is ice candy good?" KoAnkh had tried coffee, but he wondered about Ankh's favorite food. OOO could only shrug.

"Who knows, but I can say this: he's not the type to easily nor docilely disappear like that," OOO told KoAnkh, smiling inside at the mention of ice candy. There was no reason for a Greeed to wonder about such things unless Ankh was still alive in there somewhere. There was hope. KoAnkh shook his head, laughing.

"Why don't you check that by defeating me? But first, give me back my medal!" KoAnkh demanded, holding his hand out for the medal. OOO shook his head at the Greeed.

"No, it's not your Medal," OOO said matter-of-factly, pissing off KoAnkh even more. "It belongs to him!" Rage flared in OOO as three purple Core Medals appeared from within him. He caught the floating medals, sliding them into his belt.

**Ptera Tricera Tyranno. Putotyrannosaurus**

The belt chimed as OOO changed into his purple form. Roaring, OOO smashed his hand through the ground, grabbing his Medagabryu axe from the Earth. KoAnkh summoned a stream of fire and shot it OOO, only to have the rider counter with a blast of icy air from his mouth. The elements canceled each other and the two squared off against each other, trading punches and kicks as they fought. KoAnkh was different this time; he knew how to fight thanks to Ankh's knowledge. He would win, he was certain of it! KoAnkh was barely even aware of the two humans who showed up to watch the fight. He didn't care about them; he couldn't wait to see their faces when he crushed their hero.

Both rider and Greeed landed a particularly strong blow against one another, separating them as they struggled to catch their breath. Fatigue washed over them as they both dropped to their knees, struggling to stand back up.

"You…" KoAnkh hesitated as he watched OOO have a strange spasm, the Purple Core Medals flared to life within him, pulsating with energy. OOO staggered to his feet, the emblem on his chest flashing as he threw his head back and roared. Wings from his head flared to the side, his tail thrashing behind him in a rage. KoAnkh heard people call out to OOO from the balcony surrounding the pavilion, but he couldn't make out the words; his attention was focused on OOO. Excitement sparked in KoAnkh as he realized this would be the fight to truly test his limits. He flared his own feathered wings and took to the sky, OOO flying right next to him.

They exchanged blows in the aerial battle battle, KoAnkh confident of his skills charged the Rider, slashing him with his talons. OOO roared as he slashed KoAnkh with his axe. Creating some space between them KoAnkh shot another jet of fire at OOO, but was surprised when the Rider dodged it and charged KoAnkh from the side. The Greeed was caught off guard by the enraged Rider's strength, the attack sending KoAnkh spiraling into a building, crashing along its panes of glass before rolling off of it. Shaking off the attack, the two flew even higher in the sky, diving at one another and slashing with talons and claws. Again and again they dove until finally OOO managed to slice KoAnkh's wing.

Pain shot through the Greeed's body as he faulted in air, his body writing in pain of having his wing severed. He struggled to right himself but by the time he was able to collect his thoughts OOO made another pass at him, severing the other wing. KoAnkh's eyes widened in fear as he spiraled out of control smashed into the ground. He rolled a few times, struggling to get back to his feet.

Panic coursed through KoAnkh's body as he watched OOO land near him, roaring with rage the rider charged KoAnkh. The Greeed had never truly understood fear until he looked up at the helmet and felt the pure rage of Eiji. Somehow he knew this would be the end of him. He thought of tasting coffee again with Kohana as OOO swung his axe down, slashing KoAnkh. There was a sickening snap as KoAnkh felt three of his Core Medals break, most notably, the one with his consciousness in it.

KoAnkh rolled onto his back, his body breaking down piece by piece, his breath labored as he stared up at the sky. "It can't be…" he managed to gasp out as he felt himself disappearing. "My Cores…" tears swelled in the Greeed's eyes. He reached up towards OOO, unsure of why he thought it would help. He felt completely alone at that moment as he watched OOO roar once more. KoAnkh's screams echoed in the empty pavilion as he felt himself shatter into a pile of Cell Medals and a few Core Medals. The last thing he felt was Ankh's laughter.

"Told you I would win," Ankh's voice whispered in KoAnkh's mind as the lesser Greeed faded away to darkness.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Well that didn't happen as I originally planned. For some reason I just really wanted to give KoAnkh his name. Of course I didn't plan for it to be this long or to kill him, but hey, it works out. I'm really enjoying how my story is coming along and I hope you are too. Let me know what you think with a Review!


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